1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to portable containers that store and provide consumable substances, preferably liquid, to pets (e.g., animals). In particular, the present invention pertains to a portable container that transports a consumable substance for a pet, preferably liquid, and includes a removable serving container to enable the pet to consume the substance transported by the portable container.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Conventional portable containers commonly include canteens that are typically utilized for transporting liquids consumed by people. These liquid containers are usually employed to provide liquid at a remote location where a drinking facility is not readily accessible. For example, canteens may be used when camping, hiking or engaging in other activities that restrict access to drinking facilities. Conventional canteens typically include a reservoir for storing liquid and an opening to enable access to the reservoir for placement and removal of liquid from the canteen. The opening is generally of sufficient size to enable a person to consume the stored liquid directly through the opening.
Frequently, pets (e.g., animals) accompany their owners during walks, hikes and other activities. These activities may dehydrate the owner and pet, and are usually engaged at remote locations having limited or no access to drinking facilities. Although canteens may be utilized for liquid transport and storage, the canteens are cumbersome for providing liquid to pets. In particular, the canteen opening is generally of insufficient size to enable pets, particularly dogs and cats, to access liquid stored within the canteen. Further, pets are typically accustomed to consuming liquid from a dish or bowl, and may have tremendous difficulty in consuming free flowing liquid from a relatively small canteen opening.
The prior art has attempted to overcome the above described disadvantages of utilizing canteens for providing liquid to pets. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,768 (Johnson) discloses an animal canteen having a container serving as a reservoir to store liquid wherein the container includes an access aperture of sufficient size to enable pets (e.g., animals) to access stored liquid. The canteen further includes a lid to prevent spillage when the pet is not consuming liquid from the canteen. The lid on the Johnson patent is screwed onto the unit and, in order to remove the lid without spillage of the contents, the unit must be firmly steadied against a horizontal support surface or held awkwardly by the user. In either case, the lid removal process is inconvenient. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,693 (Arnold) discloses a cooled pet bed having an insulated base with a central recess for receiving a container that stores ice cubes. The upper surface of the container is covered by a fabric mattress to accommodate the pet wherein the container includes a carrying strap and may be utilized as a canteen for drinking water, while the pet base may serve as a pet drinking dish.
The prior art suffers from several disadvantages. Specifically, the Johnson animal canteen permits a pet to directly access liquid stored within a container, thereby enabling germs or other contaminates to be transferred to the stored liquid during consumption of the stored liquid by the pet. Thus, the consumption of the stored liquid by the pet contaminates the entire supply of stored liquid. Further, since the Arnold pet bed container serves as a mattress, the pet bed container is typically of sufficient size to accommodate a reclining pet and, therefore, must be relatively large and extremely cumbersome to transport. In addition, prior art animal canteens generally do not provide a manner for identifying the pet or owner associated with the canteen.
It is also desirable that water or other liquid being transported on a walk or hike be consumable by both the pet and his owner. The Johnson canteen cannot be so used hygienically since use by the pet contaminates the entire supply of liquid, rendering it unusable by the owner. The Arnold pet bed container, apart from other deficiencies, is simply too large and bulky for transport on a walk or hike.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to transport and provide convenient access to a consumable substance, preferably liquid, for a pet via a portable container having a removable serving container for enabling the pet to consume the substance.
It is another object of the present invention to transport and provide convenient access to a consumable substance, preferably liquid, for a pet via a portable container having a substantially flat bottom to enable the portable container to maintain an upright position when placed on a relatively horizontal surface.
Yet another object of the present invention is to distribute a transported consumable substance, preferably liquid, stored within a portable container to a pet via a serving container removably attached to the portable container wherein the portable container and serving container each include tabs to enable attachment and removal of the serving container from the portable container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for conveniently transporting and accessing a liquid during a walk or hike such that a pet and its owner can consume the liquid without the pet contaminating liquid consumed by the owner.
Still another object of the present invention is to identify a pet or owner associated with a portable container by disposing on the portable container indicia identifying the pet or owner (e.g., a photograph) with the indicia being covered by a lens.
The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined unless expressly required by the claims attached hereto.
According to the present invention, a portable container for transporting and providing a consumable substance, preferably liquid, to a pet includes a storage container and a removable serving container that functions as a pet dish or bowl. The storage container includes a generally circular cross-section having a tapered substantially flat bottom portion for enabling the storage container to maintain an upright position when placed on relatively horizontal surfaces. It is to be understood that the terms xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csidexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9crearxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9chorizontalxe2x80x9dand xe2x80x9cverticalxe2x80x9d are used herein merely to facilitate descriptions of points of reference and do not limit the present invention to any specific configuration or orientation. The storage container further includes a spout permitting the consumable substance to be placed in or removed from the storage container interior, and an associated spout screw-on or snap fit cap or cover that prevents spillage during storage and/or transport of the substance. The cap is sized to be easily removed when grasped between the user""s thumb and forefinger. The spout extends from an upper portion of the storage container, while the cap may be attached to the storage container via a retainer, such as a string or band, to prevent loss of the cap during use. The front exterior surface of the storage container includes a substantially circular recess for receiving a photograph of a pet or other indicia identifying the pet or owner, and a lens for covering the photograph. The lens is preferably clear to enable the photograph to be viewed. In addition, tabs or ears are disposed on the storage container wherein the tabs each include an opening for attaching a carrying strap to the storage container. The ends of the carrying strap are each typically inserted through a corresponding tab opening to engage the storage container for transport. The tabs also serve as a mechanism for attaching and removing the serving container from the storage container as described below.
The removable serving container receives a stored substance from the storage container and serves as a pet dish or bowl to enable a pet to consume the stored substance. The serving container includes an open front and a generally circular cross-section having a tapered substantially flat bottom portion similar in shape to the storage container, but with slightly larger dimensions. The bottom portion of the serving container transversely extends from the serving container interior in the form of a ledge wherein the serving container is disposed over and covers the rear portion of the storage container with the ledge coincident the storage container bottom. Tabs or ears are disposed on the serving container with slots disposed adjacent the serving container tabs. When the serving container is secured to the storage container, the serving container receives the storage container tabs within the serving container slots, while the serving container tabs are disposed adjacent the storage container tabs. The serving container and storage container tabs facilitate placement and removal of the serving container from the storage container via application of appropriate forces to the tabs.
The portable container is initially filled with a consumable substance for a pet, preferably liquid, and is transported by the pet or owner. When a pet desires the consumable substance, the serving container is removed from the portable container and the stored substance from the storage container is placed within the serving container for consumption by the pet. The owner can consume the liquid by drinking directly from the spout or by pouring the liquid into a separate cup. In either case, the pet does not contaminate the liquid that is consumed by the owner.
The above and still further objects features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components.